SOFTLY SOFTLY USING FELT PIANO CREATIVELY

Despite the seismic advances in virtual-instrument technology and the increasingly diverse range of popular soundtrack styles throughout all manner of media, the piano remains an object of eternal love and devotion. The instrument plays an enormous part in everything from contemporary TV shows such as Broadchurch and 13 Reasons Why to countless independent and blockbuster films. But the piano employed in these examples is neither bright nor classical. It’s something softer, more delicate. Here, the composers deploy a thin strip of felt between the piano’s hammers and strings to unlock a more intimate layer of its identity.

Though the felt piano’s fresh application by bleeding-edge composers such as Nils Frahm, Ólafur Arnalds, and Dustin O’Halloran might have you believe that this is a relatively modern variation on the instrument, the felt technique actually originates from the classical period, with such luminaries as Beethoven and Mozart even dabbling with its inviting and close sound. The application of felt effectively takes the internal dampening mechanics found within many upright pianos to the next level, and can even be applied to larger-sounding grand pianos, making their soft sounds more consistent across the range.

With the modern classical movement having repopularised the mellow and muffled piano, you can expect to hear its effects throughout contemporary media